Official: babies do best with mother

One of the longest and most detailed studies of UK childcare has concluded that young children who are looked after by their mothers do significantly better in developmental tests than those cared for in nurseries, by childminders or relatives.

The study on children from birth to three will reignite the controversy over the best way to bring up young children. It found babies and toddlers fared worst when they were given group nursery care. Those cared for by friends or grandparents or other relatives did a little better while those looked after by nannies or childminders were rated second only to those cared for by mothers.

According to Penelope Leach, a leading British childcare expert and one of the study's authors, the social and emotional development of children cared for by someone other than their mother 'is definitely less good'.

Such children tend to show higher levels of aggression or are inclined to become more withdrawn, compliant and sad. Tests included the ability to do a series of set tasks and the level of eye-contact maintained with adults.

Leach will outline details of the study's findings tomorrow at a conference organised by the National Childminding Association, of which she is president. 'The study does not mean every child in a large nursery will become a monster,' she said. 'Nevertheless, it shows a small but significant difference in a large group of children.'

Although the report will be leapt on by those who believe that mothers should stay at home after childbirth, others point out that it is often the quality of care outside the home which is at issue. Leach insisted her findings should not be interpreted as a demand that mothers stay at home. Instead, she described it is as supporting a demand for 'developmentally appropriate high quality childcare'.

The study, by researchers led by Leach and colleagues Kathy Sylva and Alan Stein, began in 1998 and involved 1,200 children and their families from north London and Oxfordshire. Mothers were interviewed when their babies were three months old and again when they were 10, 18, 36 and 51 months.

Roughly half of the women taking part looked after their children full-time. A third returned to work before their babies were seven months old. About 8 per cent - mostly professional workers - returned to work when their babies were three months old.

Underpinning much of the problem revealed in the study was the discovery that most mothers leave organising childcare to the last minute before returning to work. This can have worrying consequences, concluded Leach.

She described the numbers of mothers not taking up references for child carers as 'staggering' and added 'there were mothers happy to leave a baby with an au pair, after one phone call conducted through an interpreter'.

'Mothers also often wanted their own mother as the carer because they say "she's family, she loves the baby",' she said. 'But love doesn't necessarily produce the best childcare. That takes planning and thinking about the child and his or her activities.'

In addition, as part of their survey, Leach and her team observed nurseries in both areas. What they found raises further questions about the quality of care, she said.

'For example, a ratio of one member of staff to three toddlers may mean ... one employee on a break and another preparing lunch. This leaves one adult trying to cope with a large group of toddlers. And we are not talking about one bad nursery but a pattern across the country.'

By contrast, a childminder will have a maximum of three children under five in his or her care. Gill Haynes, of the National Childminders' Association, argued that the highly responsive care that the very young require is better delivered by childminders who are, often mature, have 'life skills' and are parents themselves. They also often provide one-to-one care which is thought to be better for children.

Responding to the study, nursery leaders defended their reputation. Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries' Association, said: 'Day nurseries provide an ideal environment for the care and education of children up to the age of five. And 78 per cent of working mothers say a nursery is their 'ideal childcare.'

Leach said the study indicates that not all babies and toddlers do well at home. Children of mothers suffering depression or having other priorities than motherhood fared better with childminders and nurseries. 'Mummy care isn't necessarily the gold standard,' said Leach.

The study will add to concerns of childcare organisations who believe the government's plans to provide 'wraparound' care for all children from birth to age 14 fails to acknowledge the very different needs of infants to age three.

The UK has more than 450,000 children under three in nursery care and the study reinforces the demand for a vastly increased investment in training and salaries.

'In terms of the happiness and wellbeing of our children, we are at a crossroads,' Leach warned. 'Are we going to achieve the highest quality care from the most appropriate person for the child?

Or are we to settle for what government thinks it can afford? At present ... the government is trying to do five times as much on only twice the money - and the danger is that children and their parents will suffer as a result.'